Most children with medical needs are able to attend school regularly and, with proper support from school and family can take part in the majority of normal school activities.
There may be 3 sets of circumstances where a school may need to be involved in supporting the medical needs of its pupils:
- Where there is a short term medical need, for example in finishing a course of antibiotics
- Where a pupil has to take medication from time to time
- Where a pupil has a long term or complex medical need, for example asthma or diabetes
It is not the intention that the school should routinely administer antibiotics and deal with medical issues arising from common illnesses.
Wherever possible it is expected that pupils taking medication should do so before or after school rather than during the school day.
For children with a complex medical condition, there needs to be careful planning by the school and an understanding from children and their families of the policy and procedures that the school is operating.
School policies
Schools are able to develop their own policies and procedures for supporting pupils with medical needs and administering medicine.
If your child has a medical condition please discuss directly with your child's school. It is good practice to agree a health care plan with your child's school.